He now lives in Arkansas with his third wife. Mark Nichols told authorities that his wife was gone from their bed when he awoke after the night at the bar. Claude felt that when she was in his office, she was not panic stricken to the point that she would run or leave. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. When they came home, their babysitter left. He claimed that he did not want to worry her. According to Mark, the pair had gotten into an argument after hed asked her to stay home for the night, which resulted in Christi hitting and kicking him and burning his neck with a lit cigarette. She couldn't trust anyone for help. She also did not pick up her last paycheck. Investigators no longer believe that Christi vanished voluntarily; they are now investigating this case as a probable homicide. Curiously, he was able to tell them exactly what shed taken with her, which struck them as odd. He is the type thatsleeps with one eye open if you catch my drift. She could not have gottenup tosneak out of the home in the middle of the night. Images also acquired from CharleyProject.org, directly from the clients of Unfound Podcast or created by Unfound. Lab tests confirmed that it was in her handwriting. Extensive ground searches were conducted, but nothing was found. A lot has changed in the world since then, but for one family time came to a standstill on that date. I was able to speak to townspeople as well as her family for more details. On December 9, two days before Christi vanished, she went to an attorney to begin divorce proceedings. She was surprised that she did not notice Christi because she was there for several minutes after they arrived; she believes that she would have heard Christi's footsteps on the tile floor when she came in or heard her in the bathroom. Connie was aware that something wasnt quite right in regards to her daughters marriage, but she would later state she hadnt realized just how bad it was, and Marks uncle, who owned the bar where Christi worked part-time, could sense the stress between the couple. He felt that she was having a good attitude about herself, and that there was a lot of laughing and carrying on between them. What should not surprise anyone is that when you peel back the layers more often than not you willfind that the victim maybe had a good day or two and took steps to leave the situation, yet somehow the abuser was able to ascertain that info and the victim paid for it one way or another. She told Connie about him monitoring her phone calls, and her cousin, Debra Frederickson, would later reveal that Christi had shown her a bruise on her side, which she said was the result of Mark hitting her. The family hired a private detective. As such, her family spearheaded the search for her, distributing posters and asking people to call in with any information as to her whereabouts. Christi Jo Willliams (Nichols) was last seen alive Dec. 10, 1987, when she left her children at home with a babysitter for an evening out with her husband, Mark. When a neighbor is in trouble, it becomes everybody's business. According to Diane, Mark arrived home between 12:30 and 1am. She made another appointment to see him, but disappeared before she could keep it. She has a scar above her left eye and a scar on her abdomen. Christi wasnt there. Two days before she disappeared, Christi met with a divorce attorney. On January 3, 2020, the case saw renewed interest after the Nebraska State Patrol released a press release. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated. While he didnt directly tell her of the disappearance, he did appear shaken and had asked if Christis grandmother had seen her. He moved out of the home pretty quickly after Christi Jo vanished, got rid of all traces of her and has since remarried, from what I understand twice. Austin Sigg who has since been convicted of murdering and dismembering her did the very same thing. Learn how your comment data is processed. She was also trapped in an abusive relationship at the hands of her husband Mark. Violet died in 1999 at the age of seventy-eight and Claude died in 2013 at the age of eighty. Connie Stanley has used them all. You are using an out of date browser. However, not enough blood was found to indicate that she was deceased. Mark did a stand up performance by telling medical staff that he was injured from a cigarette burn to the neck administered by Christi Jo and in his attempt to ward her and the weapon off, he might have inadvertently injured Christi Jo. A constitutional amendment introduced in the Nebraska Legislature Friday would give voters the opportunity to eliminate the State Board of Education. His Uncle Gary, who owned the bar, contradicted his story, stating that it was apparent that there was "tenseness" between them. He either drove around with her body, including back to his home with her that night or stashed her in a temporary location until he could figure out where to actually put her and when. In the mid-2000s, the case was one that the Nebraska State Patrol worked on with the help of a $250,000 grant. She went to see an abuse counselor, and Mark was angry when he found out and made her promise not to go again, but she went again anyway. And 32 years later, they are still looking for answers. The attorney advised her not to return to the home she shared with Mark, but she refused. At 9:30 a.m., Christi's mother called and Mark lied, saying Christi was asleep in bed. It's been three months since local woman, Christy Nichols was reported missing. Even though he knew Christi was gone, he told Connie that she was still asleep. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case and the family hired a private detective to no avail. That is why the suitcase and purse were left and why he wanted them to be found. Kniss now works part time at a warehouse but maintains documents on the case to help researchers and investigators. She was married and had two children. Some people close to the case, including her father, Kenneth, have speculated that she may have been dumped in the gravel fill, as it was uncovered at the time. The abuser always knows what his victim is up to, despite a victims efforts to conceal it. Christis DNA is available for comparison, should a body be found, but her dentals and fingerprints are not on file. Christis father, Ken, says that he cant say for sure if his daughter is dead, as theres no evidence of foul play, nor any witnesses who saw anything suspicious. Let us know all the details about yourself and send us a message. He claims that he would not have hurt her because he was not a violent person. Once they realize they are losing control over the victim, they start to take or hold things over the victims head that matter until the victim agrees to comply with the abusers requests or starts to live up to the abusers standards/expectations. I know that for most of you guys reading this, it may difficult to imagine what those crimes could have been, for me its but a walk down memory lane, so it would not have been easy for Christi Jo to be forthcoming in telling too many people, if anyone the truth about the abuse. He claimed that she got upset with him, tried to hit and kick him, and then burned his neck with a cigarette. Growing up, Christi was very shy and quiet. While Mark tried to tell them it was menstrual blood, later DNA analysis would prove this statement to be false. She has pierced ears and two scars (one over her left eye, and one on her abdomen.). According to Mark, he did this, so as to not worry Connie. He currently lives in Arkansas with his third wife. Such a sad and awful story. Brown hair, green eyes. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated. He was the last person to see Christi alive. Before she left Berreckmans office, she made a follow-up appointment, at which time they had planned to move forward with the divorce proceedings. The doctor on duty, Dr. Carol Shackleton, saw her and noted how scared she seemed to be of Mark, speaking low and refusing to make eye contact, as he was just outside the door. They have all of the answers regardless of whether or not they have been asked the questions. I wish they would push forward with this Mark Nichols needs to be put behind bars. Mark would not have traveled hundreds of miles to dispose of Christi Jo and he most likely would not in broad daylight disposed of her body, the risk is too high unless the area is incredibly isolated. She later attended a semester at college, but found it wasnt for her. What happened to her? Nichols was first reported missing by her family on August 6. The case has been included in a deck of playing cards that featured photographs of unsolved homicide victims, which were distributed to prisons and jails throughout Nebraska. Two months since her body was found in a Springdale hospital parking lot. Remember, property means more to him at this point than she does because she is letting him down yet again bynot living up to his expectations. Christi Jo Nichols was a 22 year old from Gothenburg, NE. Mark continues to maintain his innocence in Christi's disappearance. Her mom, Connie Stanley, continues to desperately seek for answers. Christi has been missing for 32 years today. In April 1990, Mark divorced Christi. (LogOut/ Christi Jo Nichols was a loving 22 year old mother to her 2 young children. Connie got temporary custody of Lindsey and Preston after her daughter went missing, but a judge placed them in foster care after four months. Mentally and psychologically, they make the victim feel as if something mentally is wrong with her. This case has since stalled. No other trace of Christi has ever been found. (LogOut/ By all accounts, she was trapped in a marriage gone wrong. Check out the peaks and valleys in volatile local gas prices, and track motor vehicle sales, financing and production. Abusers like Mark simply will not stand for or allow for, property to walk out the door. Mark claimed that it was menstrual blood, but an analysis determined that this was not true. She also said that she planned to leave him the day after she vanished; Connie believes that he killed her before she had the chance. Her family has shared their criticism over the way the investigation has been handled, saying they feel it could have been solved if police had taken it more seriously from the beginning. According to him, people even went to the dump and dug around, looking for her. Gothenburg womans disappearance a mystery. Her suitcase, along with her purse was found at a rest stop near Maxwell in 1988. At the time of her disappearance, she stood at 59 and weighed approximately 120 pounds. 10 days before her disappearance, Christi went to the emergency room for injuries allegedly caused by Mark. Christi Jo was a 22 year old married mother of two, who lived in Gothenburg, Nebraska when she vanished in 1987, into the night never to be seen again. She made a follow-up appointment but never made it. He noted that as the investigation proceeded, it started to look more and more like a foul play situation. Christi Jo Nichols, a 22 year old mother of 2, disappeared on December 11, 1987 from the small town of Gothenberg, in Dawson County Nebraska. Christis aunt, Joanne Kniss, moved to Omaha, Nebraska from North Platte, Nebraska to work with Whelan. On December 12, 1987, Mark moved out of the couples home. She was last seen at Catalyst Church in Bentonville. He claimed that he spent the next two hours driving around town looking for her. This struck Diane as odd, as Christi was normally the one to pay her for her services and it was normally done with a cheque. If it were me, Id search from the rest-stop Christi Jos belongings were discovered at and work it from that point outwards and back towards Gothenburg. They laughed and had an enjoyable time. During her late teens, Christi moved to Gothenburg, Nebraska to leave with her paternal grandmother, Violet Williams, as she no longer wanted to follow the rules set set in place by her mother and stepfather. The number one thing with men like Mark is that they have to be in control of the situation. They were later returned to Mark, and Connie said she hardly got to see them, due to his influence. Mark reported Christi missing later that day. Investigators said over the years they became convinced she was slain. She was never seen again.#StayHome #WithMe #AloneTogetherLost N Found Blogs:https://lostnfoundblogs.comCharley Project:http://charleyproject.org/case/christi-jo-nicholsNAMUS:https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/4677?navUnsolved Mysteries:https://youtu.be/dkUs1Z9pOjEIf you have any information regarding the disappearance of Christi Nichols, please contact the Nebraska State Police at 308-535-8047.https://theunfoundpodcast.com/2020/04/08/for-friday-christi-nichols-new-episode/--Unfound supports accounts on Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify andFacebook.--on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET, please join us on the Unfound Podcast Channel on YouTube for the Unfound Live Show. After she explained certain abuses that she had been subjected to and showed a bruise on her arm, they decided to call the authorities and report certain crimes that had taken place. She was frightened that Mark would find out; for this reason, she went to an out-of-town lawyer named Claude Berreckman. She is described as a quiet, very shy woman and a dedicated mother. Although authorities suspect Christi Jo Nichols is dead, her body never has been found. Ken initially lived in Colorado after divorcing Connie, but later moved to Gothenburg after Christis disappearance, in order to be closer to the investigation. Calls to the police department were of no help, as the police chief told her Mark was in his right to withhold the children and that she risked arrest if she didnt leave the property. The State Patrol lists Nichols case as one of about 250 unsolved homicides. Mark was in the hallway nearby during her visit; Carol was not sure if him being there was reassuring for her or not. Her body and car were discovered in the parking lot of Northwest Medical Center in Springdale on September 13. Mark believes that Christi ran away voluntarily, due to their marital difficulties and the "pressures of motherhood". Location: Gothenburg, Nebraska At 12:30am, they headed for home. Weight: 120 lbs According to Mark, Christi went to bed immediately after Diane left. One rumor that I have not been able to confirm is that Christi Jo did report to the attorney certain aspects of the abuse that resulted in the attorney making a telephone call to authorities to report certain crimes that had been taken place. Christi's case remains unsolved. Dead. Rumours began in regards to his abusive tendencies, but Mark denied all accusations, claiming Christi was the instigator and any injuries she suffered were the result of him protecting himself from her. However, Mark would claim his wife had been five or six yards ahead of him and had gone straight upstairs to see the children, before heading to the main bathroom, which is why Diane hadnt see her. As a result, her family, which already included two siblings, grew to include three stepbrothers. The first had been while she was at a local Jack & Jill convenience store, while the second occurred in the middle of the street, where he told her she needed to get her act together. I think it was because my friend knows that I am always in pursuit of the truth when it comes to unsolved murders and my friend also knows when inspired I find an assignment and I stay out of trouble. When he went to turn to Christi, he noticed she wasnt in bed, and a subsequent search of the house revealed she was gone and that a suitcase was missing. Sometimes whendealing withdifferent agencies a search is not possible because of the pissing matches that tend to occur between the said agencies or government/military entities. What would have been of the most importance to him is that it would be unlikely that investigators would/could find her body. Christi has been missing for 34 years today. The next morning, Mark woke up. He said they argued until 2:00 a.m., when he went to sleep. According to Christi, she was afraid of Mark finding out, hence the reason why shed decided to see an out-of-town lawyer. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Christi was described as very shy, quiet and smart when she was growing up. All of you can talk with me and I can answer your questions.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.You can also contribute at Paypal: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com--that is also the email address.--the website: theunfoundpodcast.comUnfound supports accounts on Podomatic, iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, andFacebook.--Please join us on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET for the YouTube Live Show.--Contribute to Unfound at Patreon.com/unfoundpodcast.And at Paypal: unfoundpodcast@gmail.com--that is also the email address. Also, Mark's parents had a concrete pad poured on their property a few days after she vanished. At 9:30am, he received a phone call from Connie, who lived 100 miles away. Authorities stated there was not enough blood to indicate Christi was dead. Carol also felt that she was not telling her everything about the cause of the injury. Kniss has devoted her life to keeping the search for the killer alive. In fact Dianne stated that she is sure she would have seen or heard Christi Jo but never did. Its been said that during one point while Mark interviewed with Unsolved Mysteries, he actually giggled while discussing that he heard people suspected he chopped Christi Jo up and put her into garbage bags, then dumped at the local dump. Body Found At Springdale Hospital Confirmed To Be Missing Woman, Body found in search for missing 26-year-old Sebastian County man, Crawford County faces three civil rights cases, Winter warnings vs watches, what's the difference? She acted like it was not a big deal, like it was something that happened a lot. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. Both the suitcase and the purse, with everything still inside, were found at an Interstate 80 rest stop near Maxwell, Nebraska in March 1988. On December 11, 1987, twenty-two-year-old housewife Christi Nichols vanished. She placed a great importance on the concept of family and dreamed of one day becoming a mother. He threatened shed never see the children again if she kept making appointments and made her promise to never go back. As a result, her family, which already included two siblings, grew to include three stepbrothers. At this point, Berreckman contacted the Gothenburg Police Department to report Marks abuse. After she went missing, a note from Christi, addressed to the other man, was found in the Nicholses' car. Christi Nichols is the wife of Mark Nichols of Gothenburg, Nebraska and the mother of two children, who vanished on December 11, 1987. More recent DNA tests have proved that the blood found in Marks car was indeed Christis. Christi Jo Nichols was born on September 6, 1965 in Overton, Dawson County, Nebraska to Connie Stanley and Ken Williams. Attempts over the years to get investigators to open a grand jury investigation have been turned down due to a lack of evidence in the case. At 1:37pm, Mark filed a missing persons report with the Gothenburg Police Department. It was like the person that put them there wanted them to be found. Dianne told investigators she never actually saw Christi Jo come in and that Mark had paid her in cash which was pretty unusual because Christi Jo always paid her and she paid her by check. The Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case and the family hired a private detective to no avail. At 59 and weighed approximately 120 pounds on December 11, 1987, twenty-two-year-old housewife Christi vanished. 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